Mr. 3's mouth fell open in shock as he stared up at the twenty-meter titan that had emerged from his supposedly perfect wax prison. The sheer scale of the transformation defied comprehension—how could anyone break free from hardened candle wax with such ease?
"So you're a Devil Fruit user as well," Robin observed with clinical interest, her sharp mind already analyzing the implications. This confirmed the intelligence reports about a giant destroying their fleet at Whiskey Peak. The ability to transform at will made for devastating surprise attacks against unprepared enemies.
Dorry, still pinned beneath Mr. 3's wax restraints but with his vision unobstructed, witnessed the entire transformation with amazement. In all his centuries of life, he had never seen a human become a giant through anything other than the natural growth of Elbaf's children.
"A young warrior learning the ways of giants," Dorry rumbled with approval, though he couldn't help but notice one detail that made him wince. The titan bore no clothing whatsoever, its muscled form anatomically correct but mercifully lacking in certain... details that would have made the situation even more awkward for the humans present.
"Still, even if you can become a giant, you're just another target!" Mr. 3 declared, his confidence returning as flames danced atop his hair. "Candle Service Set—Giant Swords!"
Torrents of liquid wax erupted into the air, hardening instantly into massive white blades that shot toward the Attack Titan like oversized arrows. Each weapon was reinforced to iron-like hardness through Mr. 3's mastery of his Devil Fruit.
The titan responded by crossing its arms before its chest in a defensive posture. As the first sword approached, something extraordinary happened—the creature's forearms took on a crystalline white appearance, becoming visibly harder than the surrounding flesh.
The wax blade shattered on impact.
"What?!" Mr. 3 staggered backward in disbelief. "How did your skin become so hard? That's not Armament Haki—I've seen that before!"
The Attack Titan didn't pause to explain. It charged forward with ground-shaking steps, its massive form cutting through the remaining wax projectiles as if they were made of paper. Worse for Mr. 3, the creature's body began emitting intense steam that prevented his liquid wax from hardening properly upon contact.
"Candle Wall—Maximum Defense!" Mr. 3 thrust both arms forward, creating six consecutive barriers of hardened wax between himself and the charging titan.
The Attack Titan's response was to coat its entire body in that same crystalline hardening, transforming into what appeared to be an armored colossus. It crashed through the first wall without slowing, then the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth in rapid succession. Each barrier exploded into fragments that scattered across Little Garden's jungle floor.
"Impossible!" Mr. 3 screamed, quickly encasing himself in his ultimate defense. "Candle Champion!"
His body disappeared beneath layers of hardened wax until he resembled a four-meter-tall golem, complete with reinforced fists and armor plating. It was an impressive transformation—for anyone facing a normal opponent.
Against a twenty-meter titan, he looked like a child playing dress-up.
The Attack Titan gazed down at Mr. 3's new form with what might have been amusement, its lips pulling back to reveal rows of sharp teeth in a predatory grin. Mr. 3's rage boiled over at the perceived mockery.
"Champion Punch!" he roared, driving his wax-covered fists repeatedly into the titan's hardened shins. Each impact should have been devastating, but the attacks merely left traces of white wax that were immediately evaporated by the creature's intense body heat.
The titan stood motionless throughout the assault, seemingly immune to Mr. 3's strongest attacks. When the wax finally stopped flowing from its legs, it raised one massive hand—also coated in that mysterious hardening—and brought it down toward the much smaller opponent.
"Miss All Sunday, help me!" Mr. 3's voice cracked with panic as he realized his situation.
A pale arm sprouted from the ground behind Mr. 3's head just as his candle armor dissolved. More arms appeared in sequence, forming a chain that yanked him away from the titan's crushing blow. The Attack Titan's hand struck the earth where Mr. 3 had been standing, leaving a crater and pulverized wax fragments.
"What terrifying power," Mr. 3 gasped, collapsing at Robin's feet as she materialized nearby. "Why does he have so many abilities? The transformation, the steam, that hardening technique—it's like fighting three Devil Fruit users at once!"
Robin studied the titan with fascination rather than fear. A human transforming into a giant could be explained by a Zoan-type Devil Fruit, but the additional abilities suggested something far more unusual. Perhaps a Mythical Zoan variant, similar to Whitebeard Commander Marco's Phoenix fruit or Fleet Admiral Sengoku's Buddha form.
Miss Goldenweek had been attempting to use her color-based hypnosis techniques on the titan throughout the battle, but her paint seemed to have no effect whatsoever. The little girl approached Robin with tears in her eyes.
"Miss All Sunday, I can't do anything to him! His willpower is too strong—I've never encountered mental resistance like this before!"
The girl's confusion was understandable. Her abilities typically worked on simple-minded individuals like Luffy, and even strong-willed opponents showed some susceptibility. This creature's mind appeared completely impenetrable to outside influence.
Their tactical discussion was interrupted by Luffy's cheerful voice calling across the battlefield.
"Nami! Everyone! Are you okay?" Their captain emerged from the jungle carrying two unconscious figures over his shoulders—Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine. "These guys tried to fight me again, but they went down pretty easy!"
Behind Luffy came Brogy, the other giant warrior, with Zoro walking alongside to avoid getting lost in the jungle. Sanji appeared from a different direction entirely, carrying what appeared to be an Eternal Pose and looking quite pleased with himself.
"Found their base," the cook announced. "Took care of those weird animal agents too, and picked up this Eternal Pose to Arabasta while I was at it."
Robin quickly assessed the tactical situation. With both giant warriors present, most of the Straw Hat crew assembled, and two of her subordinates captured, continuing the battle would be foolish. Mr. 3's defeat was already a foregone conclusion.
"We're leaving," she announced calmly, turning away from the battlefield without waiting for responses.
"What about Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine?" Mr. 3 called after her desperately.
Robin didn't answer. In the ruthless hierarchy of Baroque Works, failed agents were expendable resources. She had more important matters to report to Crocodile than attempting a rescue mission.
Mr. 3 stared after her retreating figure, then at his captured colleagues, then at the massive titan still looming over the battlefield. Despite his fear, something resembling loyalty stirred in his chest.
"I won't abandon them!" he declared, coating himself in liquid wax once more as he prepared for a final, desperate assault on Luffy's position.
Miss Goldenweek, however, had already made her choice. The little girl quietly slipped away after Robin, leaving Mr. 3 to face the consequences of his decision alone.